Buying a new car was quite simple in the BAD old days. The only two options were radio and heater but most cars came with those standard. Automatic transmissions were only offered in luxury cars until the late 1950’s. As for a/c, most people could only dream about it until the early 1970’s when it became fairly commonplace. I was a senior in college when I acquired my first car with a/c, a 1966 Dodge Monaco. It had several other options which were also quite rare in those days: power windows, steering and brakes. The power windows were great …. until the motor died which was a frequent occurrence mainly the driver’s. They were a bitch to replace and expensive causing me to find myself missing the old manually cranked ones that hardly ever failed.
One of the nicest thing about the older cars was it was a lot easier to work on them yourself. As a girl growing up, I was not allowed to take shop classes and my dad moved around with the army too often (and I was too shy) to try and make friends with people who did work on their own cars (my dad did NOT work on his own cars). So I missed my opportunity to learn much about cars. I did learn the very, very basics (from my mother – a farmer’s daughter) – how to check what fluids I could, where to add those fluids, learned enough about the basics of cars so I could understand what the mechanics where talking about, could change a tire on my own and tell when they needed to be changed, knew the difference between front wheel drive and rear wheel drive as far as which end gets the new tires if I am only getting two. :o) That one I only learned as an adult – I will admit that. But, boy, can I tell the difference in bad weather!
Yep … I drive a truck like that. Nice and cool from late October `til early December, and also from late April `til the end of May or so … I still love my truck. :)
allen@home about 3 years ago
His truck has state of the art ac. Two 55. Roll down both windows drive 55. I was going to say drive 70. Wasn’t sure if that old jalopy could hit 70.
Templo S.U.D. about 3 years ago
Those were the days.
Farside99 about 3 years ago
Even better if you also have windwings.
Caldonia about 3 years ago
I can use AM radio, and my car has two doors and another two doors. Close enough.
yoey1957 about 3 years ago
1981 three speed with overdrive, wing windows, no radio or a/c, Still have it. No plans to get rid of it.
Aubrey Dacus about 3 years ago
2-40 air.
juicebruce about 3 years ago
Back in the day when a Truck … was a Truck !
zerotvus about 3 years ago
and no a/c…..
david_42 about 3 years ago
And your grandchild has no idea which way clock-wise is, because the clock in your truck hasn’t worked since his mother was born.
walt1968pat Premium Member about 3 years ago
What AC?
ctolson about 3 years ago
I remember my first car A/C. It was a model 4/60 and only worked on the highway. Four open windows and sixty miles per hour.
pheets about 3 years ago
I so WISH my truck was a stick. Hate automatics, not the same control potential for me.
Grumpy Old Guy about 3 years ago
Manual Transmissions can now be considered a Millennial anti-theft device……
Homerville Premium Member about 3 years ago
Hey ! It runs and no cracks in the windshield.
kaycstamper about 3 years ago
His is an upgrade from my 89 Nissan PU, it doesn’t have A/C. Roll up windows too! And of COURSE stick shift, 4WD!
goboboyd about 3 years ago
A vinyl bench seat you can hose down. No air conditioning, but a heater that can defrost a two story building.
Kawasaki Cat about 3 years ago
I had a 1967 Plymouth Valiant six cylinder ,3 speed manual on the column. and no radio.
KEA about 3 years ago
two subtle age things here… explaining how the handle works …and what counter-clockwise is.
Pesky bannan-ah about 3 years ago
Our name growing up for that type of AC … TWD (two windows down).
Bill D. Kat Premium Member about 3 years ago
Buying a new car was quite simple in the BAD old days. The only two options were radio and heater but most cars came with those standard. Automatic transmissions were only offered in luxury cars until the late 1950’s. As for a/c, most people could only dream about it until the early 1970’s when it became fairly commonplace. I was a senior in college when I acquired my first car with a/c, a 1966 Dodge Monaco. It had several other options which were also quite rare in those days: power windows, steering and brakes. The power windows were great …. until the motor died which was a frequent occurrence mainly the driver’s. They were a bitch to replace and expensive causing me to find myself missing the old manually cranked ones that hardly ever failed.
Back to Big Mike about 3 years ago
It’d be nice to have those window vents again.
SofaKing Premium Member about 3 years ago
Good luck finding a pickup like that for under 20,000.
contralto2b about 3 years ago
One of the nicest thing about the older cars was it was a lot easier to work on them yourself. As a girl growing up, I was not allowed to take shop classes and my dad moved around with the army too often (and I was too shy) to try and make friends with people who did work on their own cars (my dad did NOT work on his own cars). So I missed my opportunity to learn much about cars. I did learn the very, very basics (from my mother – a farmer’s daughter) – how to check what fluids I could, where to add those fluids, learned enough about the basics of cars so I could understand what the mechanics where talking about, could change a tire on my own and tell when they needed to be changed, knew the difference between front wheel drive and rear wheel drive as far as which end gets the new tires if I am only getting two. :o) That one I only learned as an adult – I will admit that. But, boy, can I tell the difference in bad weather!
KenDHoward1 about 3 years ago
Yep … I drive a truck like that. Nice and cool from late October `til early December, and also from late April `til the end of May or so … I still love my truck. :)
BlueIris Premium Member about 3 years ago
Heck, it’s not a truck, but my car has two doors, a stick shift, etc., but I do have an AM/FM radio
donut reply about 3 years ago
I miss that ol’ ’47 Studebaker pickup.
suwin.supasathian almost 3 years ago
My truck got 2 doors with manual gears and fm and am radio